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Welfare to Careers Project

About Us

In response to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, the Education and Work Consortium developed the Welfare to Careers Project. The Consortium is a unique collaboration between two private institutions (Metropolitan College of New York and Pace University) and one public institution (Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York). The Welfare to Careers Project (WTCP) is a nationally replicable program that links college education to work experience and career training, with the ultimate aim of permanently lifting the working poor out of poverty.

Our Mission

The mission of the Welfare to Careers Project is to influence public welfare policy by demonstrating, through a replicable model, that a career-focused Bachelor’s degree with comprehensive support services will enable low-income, underserved people to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

What We Do

The Welfare to Careers Project provides the following to low-income working parents:

  • Tuition Assistance

  • Initial and ongoing assessment, case management, and counseling services

  • Remediation and tutorial services

  • Career counseling and job placement

  • Two-year career follow-up on graduates

Who We Serve

In January 2003, we surpassed our enrollment goal with 197 students. Of the original cohort of 197 students, 111 students or 56 percent of the students achieved a degree. Ninety-one percent of these graduates or 101 of the students obtained a bachelor’s degree and ten earned an associate’s degree. Our students:

  • Are 96% female and 4% male

  • Are, on average, 33 years old

  • Are single parents (92%) with an average of 2 minor children

  • Are predominately African American or Caribbean (82%) or Latino (15%)

  • Have an average annual income of $16,480

  • Pay an average monthly cost of $594 for housing

  • Rely on public benefits to make ends meet

  • Reside in the five boroughs of New York City